Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 5: Suffering Holy Church
Ji Zichen had been unconscious for two days. When he finally woke up and pushed open the window, he was greeted by a clear sky and unusually warm sunlight. He stretched out his hand to let the light shine on his palm. Lin Chuyu, seeing him awake, finally relaxed her tense heart and joyfully said, "Brother Ji, you're awake!"
Ji Zichen smiled faintly. "Yes."
Lin Chuyu replied, "You've been asleep for two days; it really worried me."
Although he was not yet in the best condition and still felt a bit dizzy, Ji Zichen said, "I'm fine. I just lost too much blood. I feel good today; it's time to get moving."
Lin Chuyu was taken aback. "So soon? You should rest a few more days."
Ji Zichen smiled lightly. "No need. Letting the sun warm me will help me recover faster."
He paused for a moment before continuing, "You didn't kill Rong Tree King and let it help the villagers recover; was that for your father?"
Lin Chuyu said bitterly, "Yes. My father made them extract toxins, which is why things are like this here."
Ji Zichen replied, "I hope your father isn't forcing them."
The two bid farewell to A-Jiao and her grandmother. A-Jiao felt a bit reluctant but did not try to keep them, knowing that Ji Zichen did not belong to Jinsi Village. She told them the shortcut out of the valley, and after half a day's journey, they had exited the valley and were heading toward the nearest town.
On the way, Lin Chuyu asked, "Brother Ji, I've been puzzled about something."
Ji Zichen responded, "What question?"
Lin Chuyu expressed her confusion. "That night, all the villagers smelled the fragrance; why couldn't I smell it?"
Ji Zichen seemed to already know the answer in his heart. Without hesitation, he said, "Not only you couldn't smell it; I didn't smell it either. I think it's because of the magical artifact. The fragrance was just Rong Tree King's enchanting aroma; the artifact kept our minds clear."
As soon as Ji Zichen finished speaking, a hawk swooped overhead with a rush of wind. The two paid no attention to it as the hawk soared through clouds and mist toward Suffering Holy Church.
Suffering Holy Church was located in the southern region of Desolate Central Plain and served as the power center of Holy Teachings. The patrols of Holy City were executed by Soldiers, making it an organization with a well-established system where responsibilities were clearly defined and doctrines strictly adhered to.
The Falcon flew into the Holy City, which was built against a cliff, making it a fortress that was easy to defend but hard to attack.
With its curved beak and sharp eyes, the Falcon entered the Master’s Power Hall. The Power Hall was spacious, and the Falcon landed on the Master’s shoulder. The Master gently stroked the bird's head and said sternly, "What happened? Did you fail?"
Yuxuan knelt partially on the ground, lowering his head in shame. "I'm sorry, Master. I have disappointed you."
Yuxuan, known as Lord Yu among the Sand Bandits, was also the one who had encountered Ji Zichen, the man wearing the Masked Man.
The Master coldly replied, "I have given you three years to take control of the Yellow Sand Plain. Not only have you failed to achieve your goal, but you also lost the Water Beast. Is this how you repay my trust?"
Yuxuan was not trying to shirk responsibility; he was stating facts. "After years of effort, the Sand Bandits have basically submitted to us. However, someone from The Divine Alliance Under the Covenant has ruined my years of work. They believe I can't even defeat a mere vendor of magical artifacts and that they cannot submit to our Suffering Holy Church."
The Master pondered for a moment. "The Divine Alliance Under the Covenant? Who is that?"
Yuxuan gritted his teeth and said, "His name is Ji Zichen."
The Master asked, " Ji Zichen? This unknown person managed to defeat you?"
Yuxuan's face flushed red as he replied, "He possesses the Five Elements Pearl; it was my oversight."
The Master threatened Yuxuan, "So what? Are you asking me to intervene personally?"
Yuxuan responded, "I will personally reclaim my honor."
He paused before adding, "There is a girl by his side who carries the Vermilion Bird Pearl."
The Master's heart trembled. "Vermilion Bird Pearl? I thought that was just a legend."
A glint of gold flashed in Yuxuan's eyes. "I once thought so too. Master, allow me to make amends; I will find the ruins."
The Master contemplated for a moment. "You cannot fail this time."
Yuxuan said seriously, "Yes, Master."
The Master replied, "Get up."
Yuxuan stood up.
The Master continued, "I heard you let a group of Sand Bandits send you back."
Yuxuan truthfully said, "They will leave after receiving their reward; they won't linger in the Holy City."
The Master's gaze turned cold as he said, "Reward! Those useless Sand Bandits shouldn't be given anything! Kill them!"
Yuxuan exclaimed in shock, "No, Brother Wang, they brought me back. We can just drive them away; there's no need to kill anyone."
The Master angrily retorted, "How many times have I told you not to call me Brother Wang in the Power Hall!"
Yuxuan bit her lip and did not argue back.
The Master urged her, "Yuxuan, have you forgotten our father's dying wish? Can you forgive those who killed our father, drove us out of the palace, and forced us to live on this cliff among vile people?"
Yuxuan's expression grew passionate as she replied, "Of course I can't forgive them. But this has nothing to do with the Sand Bandits. I haven't forgotten our father's wish and have been working hard toward it."
The Master exploded in anger, "Enough! Don't you understand how we are different from those vile people? We have noble blood! The Suffering Holy Church established by our father was meant to gather strength to reclaim the palace!"
Tears welled up in Yuxuan's eyes.
Seeing her tears softened the Master's heart. "Vile people need to be ruled; they need someone they can bow down to. The people in the Holy City must be kept in fear to obey. This is my only means of preserving the Holy City. Whether you understand it or not, go now and don't disappoint me again."
With tears in her eyes, Yuxuan withdrew.
After leaving the Power Hall, Yuxuan headed toward a secret chamber. The corridor of the chamber was lined with stone bricks, and an elderly man followed behind her. The old man was over sixty years old, with a hooked nose and gloomy eyes. He served as the Artifact Keeper in the Holy City. In his hand was a Masked Man as he said, "Princess Yu, this is the new Masked Man."
Yuxuan glanced dismissively and said, "It's no longer necessary. I am no longer responsible for the Sand Bandit's affairs, so there's no need to hide my identity in front of them."
In her heart, Yuxuan thought, "That Five Elements Pearl is difficult to deal with. I must find a magical artifact that can counter it. Without a suitable artifact, I will only suffer losses when I face it again."
Yuxuan asked, "Is there any magical artifact that can counter the Five Elements Pearl?"
The old man pondered for a moment and replied, "Princess Yu, magical artifacts are lifeless; people are alive. When masters fight, they do not rely on the strength of artifacts. As long as one adapts to the situation, any artifact can take a life."
Yuxuan paused and looked at the old man. "Zhao Zhangshi, I didn't expect you to have such insights. I have underestimated you in the past."
Zhao Zhangshi respectfully said, "I dare not claim such insights; this is merely my opinion."
Yuxuan smiled lightly, like a flower swaying in the spring breeze. She said, "Zhao Zhangshi is right; artifacts must be adapted to the situation. No matter what, I will defeat him."
Zhao Zhangshi remarked, "It is good that the princess has such ambition, but do not forget the true purpose of the leader."
Yuxuan replied, "I will not let anything interfere with my mission."
In her heart, Yuxuan vowed, "Just wait and see. Next time we meet, I will not let you off easily."
---
Ji Zichen suddenly sneezed and muttered, "Who is cursing me?"
Lin Chuyu followed him to a town as they made their way to the market. They intended to buy horses to return to The Divine Alliance Under the Covenant.
Ji Zichen rubbed his nose and said, "While I was asleep for those two days, I had a strange dream."
Lin Chuyu seemed preoccupied and did not respond. She thought to herself, "Should I apologize to him? I peeked into his dream while he was asleep. No, why should I apologize? It wasn't intentional; it was Vermilion Bird's Eye observing him. It was unintentional."
In her vision of Ji Zichen's dream, she saw a woman with graying hair who appeared to be just over forty years old for some unknown reason. The woman lay on a bed covered with a blanket. Ji Zichen stood beside the bed with a sorrowful expression as he mournfully gazed at her. Beside him stood an elder with a long white beard and an ethereal presence.
Ji Zichen asked the elder, "Leader, is there any hope for recovery?"
The leader replied, "This illness is quite strange; I have never encountered anything like it before."
After a moment of silence, Ji Zichen inquired, "Is there really no other way?"
With a long sigh, the leader said, "Your master may have been poisoned by something from the ruins that has never been seen before. We cannot act recklessly without knowing what kind of poison it is. However, after observing her condition for these days, she seems to be physically stable; it's just that she is slowly aging externally and remains unconscious. The only way to save her is with Divine Tears."
Ji Zichen exclaimed in surprise, "Divine Tears? I heard that Divine Tears are found in the Divine Dawn Ruins; that's just a legend."
The leader responded, "We, the Divine Alliance Under the Covenant, are searching for the ruins to verify these legends. The reason it is considered a legend is simply because no one has found it yet."
Ji Zichen argued, "Other legendary ruins usually have some basis for their existence, but there is no evidence for Divine Dawn."
The leader sighed deeply, "Fate is predetermined; we can only do our best."
At this point, the dream came to an end.
Lin Chuyu had never imagined that Ji Zichen's master was actually a woman. Ji Zichen had kept silent about it, not wanting anyone to know.
No one wanted to find the ruins more than Ji Zichen did. However, after searching for many years without any leads on even a Silk Thread's trace, he couldn't help but feel disheartened. He had come to firmly believe that Divine Dawn was merely a legend.
Even when he encountered Lin Chuyu with the Vermilion Bird Pearl, he felt moved but did not have the heart to search again because he feared another disappointment.
But reality was forcing him to reconsider his search—first for his master and second for Lin Chuyu.
Upon discovering this secret, Lin Chuyu's first reaction was to question Ji Zichen, blaming him for giving up on finding the ruins to save his master. However, she soon realized that even she, who possessed the Vermilion Bird Pearl, did not know where the ruins were; how could she then criticize someone else?
Lin Chuyu felt a whirlwind of emotions and thus ignored what Ji Zichen said. After staring at her for a while, Ji Zichen raised his voice and said, "Hey, what are you thinking about?"
Lin Chuyu was taken aback and looked at Ji Zichen in astonishment. "What? Are you talking to me?"
Ji Zichen glanced at her and said, "What are you spacing out for?"
Lin Chuyu mustered her courage and replied, "I'm sorry." No matter what, it was wrong to peek into someone else's dreams; that was how she felt.
Ji Zichen looked quite confused and asked, "Why are you apologizing?"
Lin Chuyu's face flushed. To prevent Ji Zichen from guessing her thoughts, she pretended to hurry a couple of steps. "I... I just wanted to apologize."
Ji Zichen watched her retreating figure and chuckled, "So strange. I have no idea what you're doing."
After following her for a couple of steps, a thought flashed through Ji Zichen's mind. He remembered the secret about Lin Chuyu and the Vermilion Bird Pearl. Suddenly enlightened, he rushed forward to ask, "I get it! While I was asleep, you used the Vermilion Bird Pearl to spy on me, didn't you? Is that why you're apologizing?"
At that moment, Lin Chuyu couldn't admit it. "Who... who spied on you? That's ridiculous!"
Ji Zichen shot her a glance. "Really? I had a dream where you were hiding in the corner secretly watching me."
Lin Chuyu's face turned hot as she exclaimed, "Who would sneak into your dream to watch you? Don't think such nonsense about me!"
Ji Zichen appeared a bit embarrassed; he realized that his question was somewhat inappropriate. Why would he dream about her?
In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the market. At the stable, they found two horses and mounted them, setting off towards the Divine Alliance Under the Covenant.
Comment 0 Comment Count